which types of packaging will no longer be permitted in the future

Unnecessary empty space in boxes will be prohibited, certain shapes not yet

The PPWR does not currently prohibit specific packaging forms such as "the box" or "the bag", but it does prohibit a particular use of packaging: unnecessary empty space in a parcel sent to a customer. Article 24 sets a limit on the empty space ratio in transport packaging in, for example, e-commerce and in packaging containing multiple products or grouped packages. Anyone who ships a small item in an oversized box, filled with air or excessive cushioning material, falls in most cases under this requirement. This directly addresses the question how you determine whether a box is too large or too heavy, because the empty space rule and weight minimization are intertwined in practice.

In addition, there are prohibitions at the substance level rather than at the form level: Article 5 sets requirements for substances harmful to human health or the environment, and Article 7 requires a minimum proportion of recycled content in plastic packaging. A packaging form that is permitted in itself may still not comply if the materials or substances used do not meet those requirements. Which specific substances this affects is described on the page on substances that are no longer permitted in packaging. So there is no simple list of "prohibited packages"; it is a combination of shape requirements (empty space), material requirements (recycled content) and substance requirements.

What this is based on: Articles 24, 7 and 5

The empty space ratio follows from Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the recycled content obligation for plastic packaging from Article 7, and the requirements for harmful substances from Article 5. Because this concerns a regulation, the content of these articles applies equally in every Member State; there is no room for a national exemption or a different threshold in this regard. If you are unsure whether an existing package complies with these requirements, you can substantiate this by testing a package before it is used; that process aligns with the way Article 5 and Article 7 are checked in practice.